October is breast cancer awareness month! According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, more than 240,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer per year. Of these 240,000, the majority are women. Whether you wear a bra everywhere but the shower or don’t wear one at all, I challenge you to take your bra off and check for any lumps, bumps, or abnormalities.
Speaking of bras, I have been donning ths constriction contraption since about fifth grade. I find myself wondering why though? Around the house and in my dorm hall I go without one all the time. Why must I wear a bra in public? Supposedly, society is telling me that I have to. How loud are these pressures from society? How overt are they? The only way for me to find out was to go braless.
I went braless for one week and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Full disclosure, I love bras. I like how they make my boobs even and rounded, and I like that I can get a little push-up. I like how many styles and colors I have come to accumulate, but I have no need for a bra if I don’t feel like wearing one. I have small breasts and going braless is a different experience for everyone, but there is no excuse not to if you truly want to try it.
Monday: It’s fall here in Cleveland and I woke up chilly today. I wore a black t-shirt and sweatshirt, but no bra. I had to consciously think about not wearing a bra but it felt no different than what I would wear for a normal weekend in. No one seemed to notice that I was not wearing a bra. No one said anything to me, and if they were aware they didn’t seem to mind. Monday night I had a sorority event and had to wear a white dress. I considered wearing a bra, or at least breast pedals. I didn’t want my nipples to show through the white fabric, even though it was a thicker material. I eventually convinced myself not to wear anything and went on my way. Again, no one said anything to me. I was surprised at how little of a deal my monumental feat seemed to everyone around me, but this was only day one.
Tuesday: Today I decided I would wear a thin grey sweater. There was no way of hiding in this outfit, but if I was going to commit I was going to wear my usual attire, minus a bra. I noticed people glance at my chest on Tuesday. I went most of the day without anyone saying anything to me though. Later in the evening, I was heading to Target with my boyfriend. He was aware I had decided to go braless this week, but he thought he should let me know before we walked in the store that my boobs were noticeable, but I honestly didn’t mind. I told him I didn’t care and that seemed to give him the same mindset. As long as I was comfortable a little breeze wasn’t going to stop us from doing our shopping.
Wednesday: Today I almost wore a thin white shirt. I put it on and could see my nipples through the material. I was dedicated to going braless and I wouldn’t have changed but this wasn’t merely the outline or whether they were hardened at all. You could see the color, shape, size, and that was far too revealing for me. I consciously changed into a darker shirt and went about my day. Again, no one made any comments to me.
Thursday: Today I didn’t have classes so I had time to shower and think about my outfit. I wore a green, loose shirt and my jean jacket. I didn’t see many people. I went to work in the sociology department and it was a fairly quiet day, then I went back to my dorm to do school work. I felt like I had a missed opportunity to get reactions from people.
Friday: Today is the homecoming dance. I was so glad I had gone braless for a week because I had decided to wear a deep v, low back jumpsuit. There would be no possible way to wear a bra with this outfit, but I didn’t feel like I needed one. I felt so confident and loved what I had chosen to wear. I got many compliments so people must not have minded my bare skin across my sternum where two cups would normally be connecting. I now want to try more deep V apparel. I feel sexy and confident, and I’m much less self-conscious about the idea of going braless. If an outfit makes you feel good, lose the undergarments!
Saturday: Today is the annual homecoming football game. I woke up and put on a shirt representing my sorority and a JCU athletics jacket. I worked the table at the homecoming street fair and stopped by the parents’ tailgate for my sorority. After that I was much too cold in my thin jacket and decided I needed to change. I put on a John Carroll sweatshirt to keep with the school spirit. This sweatshirt was more form-fitted than normal sweatshirts and honestly I didn’t like the way it laid on my chest, but I had already changed once so I stuck with it.
What I learned from going braless is that I was seeking out people’s reactions, and they were not nearly as extreme as I thought they would be. I also believe outfits that celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Miley Cyrus wear could be doable for normal people if they lost their bra, but sometimes everyday outfits just feel better with some support on your chest. I learned that most people aren’t staring at your chest and if you don’t draw attention to it, it will go unnoticed by many. I have gathered that you spend more time thinking about and checking on your breasts when you make a change in how they are concealed everyday.
**I highly recommend going braless for breast cancer awareness and seeing if you are comfortable. There are so many options for you these days: braless, pasties, a bralette, or bra. Explore them and explore your breasts this October. If Rachel from Friends could go braless, why can’t you?